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Meaning & use

negative expression

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈneɡətɪv ɪkˈspreʃn/
US/ˈneɡətɪv ɪkˈspreʃn/

Meanings

  1. nouncountabletechnicalspecialist

    A word, phrase, or sentence that expresses denial, refusal, or the opposite of a positive statement.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a negative expression' or 'negative expressions'.

    Patterns

    • a negative expression of something
    • use a negative expression

    In English, 'not', 'never', and 'no' are common negative expressions.

    The teacher asked us to rewrite the sentence as a negative expression.

    Her face showed a negative expression when she heard the news.

  2. nouncountable

    A facial look or gesture that shows disapproval, unhappiness, or lack of agreement.

    Grammar: Often used with 'wear' or 'have': 'She wore a negative expression.'

    Patterns

    • wear a negative expression
    • have a negative expression on one's face

    He had a negative expression on his face throughout the meeting.

    When I suggested the idea, she gave me a negative expression.

    Try to avoid a negative expression when you receive feedback.

Word forms

pluralnegative expressions

Common combinations

use a negative expression
Writers often use a negative expression to create emphasis.
form a negative expression
In French, you form a negative expression with 'ne ... pas'.
a negative expression on someone's face
There was a negative expression on his face after the loss.
double negative expression
'I don't know nothing' is a double negative expression.

Synonyms and how they differ

negation
More formal and abstract; it refers to the act or logic of denying, while 'negative expression' is the actual word or phrase.
negative statement
Focuses on a full sentence rather than a single word or phrase.
denial
Means saying that something is not true; it is not a grammatical term.

Opposites

positive expressionaffirmative expression

Word family

negatively adverb
In a negative way; for example, 'She reacted negatively to the plan.'
negativity noun
The quality of being negative or pessimistic.
negate verb
To make something ineffective or to deny it.

Commonly confused: negative expression or double negative?

negative expression vs double negative

A double negative uses two negative words in one clause (e.g., 'I don't have no money'), which is often considered incorrect in standard English. A negative expression is simply any expression that is negative.

Practice

Which of these is a negative expression?

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